Public transit: Good public transit is important for walkable neighborhoods.

Freeways and bodies of water: Freeways can divide neighborhoods. Swimming is harder than walking.

Weather: In some places it’s just too hot or cold to walk regularly.

As MarlonBain said, “You should use the Web 3.0 app called going outside and investigating the world for yourself” before deciding whether a neighborhood is walkable!

Also a factor is google’s methods of determining distance. They currently offers only two calculations: “as the crow flies” and driving distance. Walkscore.com has chosen “as the crow flies,” distorting some neighborhoods’ scores.

Distance: We are currently using “as the crow flies” distances rather than walking directions. This means if you live across the lake from a destination, we are assuming you will swim. We are investigating using Google Driving Directions to calculate our distances. Hopefully, Google will add Walking Directions in the future!

And also, google’s business listings are not complete- Bellevue, for example, scores lower than it should as Stir Crazy doesn’t show up, making the closest coffee shop 2 miles away.

Sometimes google’s categories are just plain bizarre: the Richmond Braves are listed as a park, while Bryan Park is not! Convenience stores are tagged as grocery stores.

Nevertheless, this is a great resource that will hopefully have the kinks worked out soon.

Trying out the corner of Williamsburg and Gov’t roads, which is probably the closest anyone could be to shops (correct me if I’m wrong), Fulton scores a truly depressing 22. That’s almost as bad as Brandermill.

This is interesting. Bill says that the intersection of Forest Hill and Westover Hills rates a 63. I live only 4 blocks away and my rating was 38. I guess I should walk to that intersection before I start so things will be more walkable.